In the aftermath of the Farragut disaster, Kirk was promoted to lieutenant commander and placed on medical leave while the Farragut remained in Earth Spacedock, having yet to be assigned a new captain. Kirk was ordered to report to what the Terran Empire euphemistically referred to as a "grief counselor." Although he was confident that Starfleet Command would not discipline him as his actions were consistent with Starfleet's rules of promotion, Kirk was concerned that the survivors of the dead Farragut crewman would attempt to seek their revenge by bribing the grief counselors. In order to avoid such an eventuality, Kirk requested that he be allowed to have the required psychiatric sessions with DoctorSimon Van Gelder, an old friend of his from Starfleet Academy who was by then the second-in-command of the Tantalus Penal Colony. Starfleet Command granted his request. (TOS - Mirror Universeshort story: "The Greater Good")